Trump Labels Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky A "Dictator"
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a “dictator” and further straining their relationship.
Trump’s comments came after Zelensky criticized US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, which Ukraine was excluded from.
Zelensky suggested that President Trump was “living in a disinformation space” influenced by Moscow.
Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump responded by saying Zelensky was only good at manipulating former US President Joe Biden.
The “dictator” remark sparked backlash from European leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it “wrong and dangerous” to deny Zelensky’s legitimacy as a democratically elected leader.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his support for Zelensky in a phone call, backing him as Ukraine’s elected leader.
A Downing Street spokesperson pointed out that suspending elections during wartime, like the UK did during World War II, was “perfectly reasonable.”
Zelensky’s five-year term was set to end in May 2024, but elections are on hold due to the ongoing war with Russia, which began with its invasion in February 2022.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also criticized Trump’s use of the word “dictator,” calling the remarks “absurd.” She said:
If you look at the real world instead of just firing off a tweet, then you know who in Europe has to live in the conditions of a dictatorship: people in Russia, people in Belarus.
Speaking in Florida, Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator,” just hours after using the same term in a Truth Social post about the Ukrainian president. Said Trump:
He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?
Trump also mentioned his efforts to secure rare-earth minerals from Ukraine, accusing Zelensky’s government of “breaking the deal.”
His speech echoed a Truth Social post where he criticized Zelensky, saying, “He has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died.”
Trump also claimed that the US was “successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia.”
A White House official explained that Trump’s post was a response to Zelensky’s “disinformation” comments.
On Tuesday, US and Russian officials held their first high-level face-to-face talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine’s former prime minister, told the BBC that Russia was likely celebrating Trump’s remarks.
He also defended Zelensky, calling him a “completely legitimate president” and stating that elections can’t be held under martial law.
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